Jordanian American convicted of bomb threat

(JTA) — A dual Jordanian-American citizen was convicted of mailing a bomb threat to a Chicago Jewish day school.

Mohammad Alkaramla, 26, of Chicago’s North Side, was convicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court and ordered jailed until his Sept. 29 sentencing.

Arrested in March 2009, Alkaramla was convicted of mailing a letter to the Ida Crown Jewish Academy that threatened to blow up Jewish educational institutions as well as injure or kill Jewish individuals in the city. The letter, which was received on Dec. 31, 2008, was addressed to rabbis and leaders of the Jewish community.

The letter threatened: "Will Give You until 01.15.2009 to back OFF from Gaza in Palestine or will set our explosive in your areas, it very important to make a quick action before we make our decisions to set bombs in the fowling [sic] addresses."

The letter then listed 22 addresses of Jewish educational centers in the Chicago area, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

A draft of the letter was found on Alkaramla’s laptop computer. He faces up to 10 years in jail and a $250,000 fine.